Vehicle wireless communication device and communication control method

Abstract

By a vehicle wireless communication device or a vehicle wireless communication method, for each wireless communication service, a power headroom representing a remaining power of a transmission power with respect to a predetermined maximum transmission power is calculated, a delay allowable amount is acquired, and the wireless communication service is selected for communication between at least one in-vehicle device and an external device.

1 . A vehicle wireless communication device that includes a plurality of subscriber identity modules, is used for a vehicle, used as an interface for communication between at least one in-vehicle device and an external device that is a different communication device placed outside the vehicle, and configured to use a plurality of wireless communication services respectively according to the plurality of subscriber identity modules, the vehicle wireless communication device comprising:
 a remaining power calculation unit configured to calculate, for each wireless communication service, a power headroom representing a remaining power of a transmission power with respect to a predetermined maximum transmission power based on a transmission power setting value for each wireless communication service;   a delay allowable amount acquisition unit configured to acquire a delay allowable amount from the at least one in-vehicle device, the delay allowable amount indicating a length of an allowable communication delay time; and   a communication path selection unit configured to   select the wireless communication service among the plurality of wireless communication services for communication between the at least one in-vehicle device and the external device based on the power headroom calculated by the remaining power calculation unit for each wireless communication service, and   allocate, among the plurality of wireless communication services, a wireless communication service having a large power headroom to an in-vehicle device having a small delay allowable amount.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle wireless communication device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one in-vehicle device includes a plurality of in-vehicle devices,   the vehicle wireless communication device is connected to the plurality of in-vehicle devices and used,   the delay allowable amount acquisition unit is configured to acquire the delay allowable amount from each in-vehicle device,   the communication path selection unit is configured to select the wireless communication service for each in-vehicle device based on the power headroom of each wireless communication service and the delay allowable amount of each in-vehicle device, and   the communication path selection unit is configured to allocate the wireless communication service having the large power headroom to an in-vehicle device having the small delay allowable amount as compared with an in-vehicle device having a large delay allowable amount.   
     
     
         3 . The vehicle wireless communication device according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a path characteristic acquisition unit configured to acquire, as path characteristic information of each wireless communication service, a delay characteristic setting value from a network device that constitutes a wireless communication network, the delay characteristic setting value being a parameter that indicates an upper limit value of an assumed range of a communication delay time,   wherein   the communication path selection unit is configured to allocate the wireless communication service having the large power headroom to the in-vehicle device having the small delay allowable amount as compared with the in-vehicle device having the large delay allowable amount, and   when at least two power headroom are at a same level, the communication path selection unit allocates the wireless communication service having a small delay characteristic setting value to the in-vehicle device having the small delay allowable amount.   
     
     
         4 . The vehicle wireless communication device according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a path characteristic acquisition unit configured to acquire, as path characteristic information of each wireless communication service, information including an allocation frequency from a network device that constitutes a wireless communication network,   wherein   the communication path selection unit is configured to allocate the wireless communication service having the large power headroom to the in-vehicle device having the small delay allowable amount as compared with the in-vehicle device having the large delay allowable amount, and   when at least two wireless communication services have a same power headroom, the communication path selection unit allocates the wireless communication service having a small allocation frequency to the small delay allowable amount.   
     
     
         5 . The vehicle wireless communication device according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a movement speed acquisition unit configured to acquire a movement speed of a subject vehicle; and   a path characteristic acquisition unit configured to acquire, as path characteristic information of each wireless communication service, information including an allocation frequency from a network device that constitutes a wireless communication network,   wherein   the communication path selection unit is configured to allocate the wireless communication service having the large power headroom to the in-vehicle device having the small delay allowable amount,   when the movement speed acquired by the movement speed acquisition unit is less than a predetermined switching threshold in a situation where at least two wireless communication services have the power headroom at a same level, the communication path selection unit allocates a wireless communication service having a high frequency among the at least two wireless communication services having the power headroom at the same level to the in-vehicle device having the small delay allowable amount, and   when the movement speed acquired by the movement speed acquisition unit is equal to or higher than the switching threshold, the communication path selection unit allocates a wireless communication service having a low frequency among the at least two wireless communication services having the power headroom at the same level to the in-vehicle device having the small delay allowable amount.   
     
     
         6 . The vehicle wireless communication device according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a movement management unit configured to execute a process for switching a serving cell that provides the wireless communication service for each wireless communication service,   wherein   the communication path selection unit executes a process for updating an allocation state of the wireless communication service for each in-vehicle device on a condition that the movement management unit executes the process for changing the serving cell of any of the at least two wireless communication services.   
     
     
         7 . The vehicle wireless communication device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the communication path selection unit is configured to execute a process for updating an allocation state of the wireless communication service for each in-vehicle device based on a fact that a subject vehicle has stopped.   
     
     
         8 . The vehicle wireless communication device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one in-vehicle device includes a vehicle control device configured to communicate data related to automated driving or driving assistance to the external device, and   the communication path selection unit is configured to change the wireless communication service that has allocated to the vehicle control device based on a fact that data communication between the vehicle control device and the external device has not been performed or a subject vehicle has stopped.   
     
     
         9 . The vehicle wireless communication device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one in-vehicle device includes a vehicle control device configured to communicate data related to automated driving or driving assistance to the external device, and   the vehicle wireless communication device is configured to output a predetermined error signal to the vehicle control device when a communication delay time does not become less than or equal to the delay allowable amount required by the vehicle control device in any one of the wireless communication services.   
     
     
         10 . The vehicle wireless communication device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the vehicle wireless communication device is used in a vehicle designed according to an operational design domain, the operational design domain includes a condition that is satisfied when a delay time in communication with the external device related to automated driving is less than a predetermined threshold,   the at least one in-vehicle device includes a vehicle control device configured to communicate data related to the automated driving to the external device, and   the vehicle wireless communication device is configured to output information to the vehicle control device, the information indicating a degree of delay in communication between the vehicle control device and the external device.   
     
     
         11 . The vehicle wireless communication device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when a numerical number of the at least one in-vehicle device is one, the communication path selection unit allocates the wireless communication service having the large power headroom to the one in-vehicle device.   
     
     
         12 . A communication control method for control of communication between at least one in-vehicle device of a vehicle and an external device that is a communication device placed outside the vehicle, the communication using a plurality of wireless communication services in parallel, the plurality of wireless communication services corresponding, respectively, to a plurality of subscriber identity modules,
 the communication control method comprising:   calculating, for each wireless communication service, a power headroom representing a remaining power of a transmission power with respect to a predetermined maximum transmission power based on a transmission power setting value for each wireless communication service;   acquiring a delay allowable amount from the at least one in-vehicle device, the delay allowable amount indicating a length of allowable communication delay time; and   selecting the wireless communication service for communication between the at least one in-vehicle device and the external device based on the calculated power headroom for each wireless communication service, and   allocating the wireless communication service having a large power headroom to an in-vehicle device having a small delay allowable amount.   
     
     
         13 . The communication control method according to  claim 12 , further comprising
 when a numerical number of the at least one in-vehicle device is one, allocating the wireless communication service having the large power headroom to the one in-vehicle device.   
     
     
         14 . A vehicle wireless communication device that includes a plurality of subscriber identity modules, is used for a vehicle, used as an interface for communication between at least one in-vehicle device and an external device that is a different communication device placed outside the vehicle, and configured to use a plurality of wireless communication services respectively according to the plurality of subscriber identity modules, the vehicle wireless communication device comprising:
 one or more processors; and   a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least:   calculate, for each wireless communication service, a power headroom representing a remaining power of a transmission power with respect to a predetermined maximum transmission power based on a transmission power setting value for each wireless communication service;   acquire a delay allowable amount from the at least one in-vehicle device, the delay allowable amount indicating a length of an allowable communication delay time; and   select the wireless communication service among the plurality of wireless communication services for communication between the at least one in-vehicle device and the external device based on the power headroom calculated by the remaining power calculation unit for each wireless communication service, and   allocate, among the plurality of wireless communication services, a wireless communication service having a large power headroom to an in-vehicle device having a small delay allowable amount.